


5 Times Persephone Went to the Underworld, and 1 Time She Didn't Want to Leave

by orphan_account



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Beauty and Beast influences, Didn't edit, Extremely mild rape scene, F/M, Getting to Know Each Other, Getting to Love Each Other, I didn't plan for that it just happened, It's only two sentences and just implies, Let me see if I can figure out tags, Might seem a little like stockholm syndrome, Okay I'm further in it's definitely like stockholm syndrome, Persephone pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-28 15:15:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2737370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first five times Persephone lived in the Underworld after the compromise was made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Times Persephone Went to the Underworld, and 1 Time She Didn't Want to Leave

1.

The first time Persephone barely spoke to Hades. She barely did anything; barely ate, barely slept, barely left her room. She spent most of her time reading the many tomes left in the enormous bedroom - Hades had insisted that she be as comfortable as possible by offering her access to all areas of his shadowy palace, but she never bothered with anything outside her own bedroom door. She had six months in this world of the dead, and she was determined to spend those six months in solitude. This was frustrating to Hades, of course. He came in to her room one night, when Persephone was asleep, and wordlessly climbed on top of her. She said nothing, for there was nothing she could say. She only gripped the sheets and waited. Her mother and the other Gods had made a deal that could not be broken, and she was so much weaker. Just a young maiden, delicate as flowers and innocent as spring. It was Hades who had taken that innocence away from her, the first moment he took her and every moment after. When Hades was finished he left without a sound, shutting the door behind him. He never bothered her again for the rest of the month.

2.

Persephone's terror in returning to the Underworld was much less stoic. Her first time she had been determined to be strong, silent, unforgiving and immovable. This time she could barely keep from sobbing when Charon's ferry docked at the shores of Hades' kingdom. When Hades greeted her at the palace door she sprinted past him back up to the bedroom. She flung open the doors, expecting the black furniture, dark velvet, and adornments the shade of deep red wine that seemed to be the majority of the palace, but was shocked by what she saw instead. Curtains of spring green satin hung in front of the windows, filtering in light on a carpet made from grass soft as clouds. Her bed and most of the furniture were shades of white, green, and pink, and flowers were everywhere. Roses, lilies, violets, daisies, chrysanthemums, forget-me-nots, and hundreds of others sat on tables or shelves or hung from bedposts. The magnificent black chandelier had been replaced with tiny yellow and orange candles that mirrored a sunset. It was beautiful, in short, but only made Persephone sob more. She didn't leave her room again this time, but Hades never bothered her.

3.

Persephone was ready this time. She was ready to give Hades a chance - terrified to, but ready. She was essentially his prisoner for six months a year, and he could have his way with her any time he wanted. But he had only touched her twice. Her life wasn't ideal in any form, but in Persephone's opinion the best she could do was live it. She stepped gracefully from Charon's boat this time, ignoring the souls enslaved by Hades and ordered to guide her to his palace, striding ahead through the dying and charred landscape. Everything was shades of black or grey in the Underworld, and on her first visit Persephone's dress the color of summer had left her feeling grossly out of place. Now she bared the color proudly.  
"My love," Hades greeted her like this every time she arrived at his palace, with a bow of his head and a kiss to her hand. Normally she pulled away immediately, but she let Hades lower her hand to her side, her eyes lingering on his face. He looked like a hardened warrior, with dark hair, a sharp angular face, grey eyes and a stoic expression. But when he saw Persephone's eyes stay on his he softned just a little.  
The rest of her visit consisted of Persephone acting like Hades was a wild animal she may be able to tame. She moved carefully around him, approached him slowly, watched every word and every move. She still spent most of her time within her room, but she ate every meal with Hades and occassional sat in the parlor and listened to him play piano or read a book by the fire place while he was nearby. When she left at the end of six months she kissed him on the cheek, turned around, and never looked back.

4\. 

Persephone found herself wanting to return to the Underworld, just slightly, and only a few times. It came suddenly during the time she was with her mother, when they were walking through a meadow together or picking flowers in the woods. Living in the presence of a man was so much different than the world she knew with her mother, and the Underworld was so much different than Olympus or Earth. There was more energy, more mystery, more thrill. Even if she never left her room, she could always feel that dark, forbidden presence that came from the land of the dead. But Persephone still felt embarassed when she leapt off the boat and nearly ran towards the palace. When Hades greeted her she took his hands in hers, and he widened his eyes.  
"I missed you," She said, and saw Hades swallow and clench his jaw.  
"I missed you as well," He said, and that was the end of it.  
The way Persephone acted around Hades was that of a tentative new bride. She watched him from afar, she sat near him but did not speak, she rested her hand on his or brushed a stray lock of hair from his eyes. There were times late at night when she would lay awake asking herself what she was doing. She knew what Hades was capable of, she knew the kind of man he could be, she knew what he had done to her before. Yet there was still a part of her that couldn't help but be entranced. Some days she was all over him, other days she barely looked him in the eye, but Hades never questioned her. Until the last day, when they said goodbye.  
"I hope these...these visits...have become more comfortable for you, Persephone," He said awkwardly. Persephone did nothing but wrap her arms around his neck and press her lips against his. They did not move, only press againt each other, until Persephone bit Hades lower lip.  
She arrived home late that day.

5.

For the first time, Persephone wore the elegant black gowns that had been made available for her. She pulled up her hair with a tiara of black diamonds, colored her lips the color of blood and covered herself with jewels the color of midnight, decorating her neck, wrists, and fingers. She sat next to Hades on his throne for the first time as well, and she could almost feel its power surge through her veins. This time Persephone went to Hades' room, kissed him hard and made love to him with the strength and passion of the wife of a soldier going to war. She was the Queen of the Dead, the Queen of the Underworld, the Queen of Darkness and Blood and Shadow, and for the first time she was not ashamed of these titles. The world above feared her, spoke her name in curses, and Persephone was not ashamed. She felt breath in her lungs for the first time.  
"You seem much happier," Hades said one evening, as they lay next to each other, baring skin and breathing heavily.  
"I am happier," Persephone said, tracing her hands down his chest. "Much happier than I ever was before."  
"I love you."  
"I love you, too."  
She lay watching him breathing, feeling the warmth of his skin and how wonderful it felt against hers. Eventually she fell in to a dreamless sleep. Persephone was not weak, she was as strong as death itself.  
She was happy.


End file.
